The present invention generally relates to ultrasound probes and in particular to ultrasound probe and handle housings and stand-off pads for sue with such housings.
Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging probes generally have been used in the past to image anatomical structures within the body. Ultrasonic probes have been used in the past during non-invasive procedures (such as trans-thoracic probes), during invasive procedures (such as trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) probes and trans-vaginal probes), and during surgical procedures (i.e., intraoperative probes).
When using ultrasonic probes, it is important that the hand of the physician using the probe not obscure the site being examined. While the probe is imaging, for example, a physician must be able to accurately determine and maintain the position of the probe while looking at a monitor displaying the information obtained from the probe.
Past intraoperative ultrasound probes have provided, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,795 to Nordgren et al., an intraoperative ultrasound probe having a transducer section and an angled handle section that form an obtuse angle with respect to one another. The shape of the handle was used in an attempt to permit the physician to grasp the probe without blocking the physician's view of the surgical site. Surgical procedures in which intraoperative probes have been used include vascular surgery and transplant surgery. Dining vascular surgery, ultrasonic imaging probes can be used to image and diagnose the interior of carotid arteries. In transplant surgery, intraoperative ultrasonic probes can be used to verify successful attachment and function of renal arteries. Intraoperative ultrasound probes are preferably small and as easy to manipulate as surgical instruments.
Past trans-vaginal probes have provided, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,829 to Law et al., a handle offset from the central axis of the probe. The shape of the handle was used in an attempt to free the space around the entrance of a needle guide to thereby permit manipulation of the needle by hand. The probes disclosed in the above-referenced patents did not, however, present a probe having a multiple-angled handle section.
Past TEE probes have provided, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,691 to Brommersma, a flexible tube having at one end a probe head. The flexible end part is connected to a housing to allow a probe head to be bent forwards or backwards.
A need remains for an improved ultrasonic probe housing that enables a physician to accurately determine and maintain the position of the probe during use. A need also remains for an improved ultrasonic probe housing that allows the physician to move the probe while maintaining its orientation without having to view the probe to ensure it is oriented properly. It is an object of the present invention to meet these needs.
Additionally, in the past, users of ultrasonic technology have noticed that ultrasound probes do not image well when they are used in close proximity to the surface of the tissue being monitored. As a result, past ultrasound probes have placed a material of similar sound velocity as anatomical tissue between the probe and the patient as a standoff (i.e., a standoff between the probe and patient), with the material generally being 1 to 4 cm in thickness. Moreover, the quality of ultrasound images is adversely affected by the presence of a moving organ, due to, for example, blood pulsation. Ultrasound images are also adversely affected by the lack of an effective acoustic coupling due to a fixed (usually flat) transducer or probe surface and a curved or irregular shape of an anatomic structure, such as a heart, artery or other organ.
One way in which such standoffs have been formed is by using a metal or plastic structure to hold a thin plastic or elastomer bag filled with a coupling material. Additionally, rigid plastics have been used as containers for the coupling fluid with acoustic windows made of thin plastic films on the container for the transmission of ultrasound through the container. An adapter and standoff for an ultrasound probe including a first compression molded coupler portion and a second compression molded receptacle portion is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,632 to Boyd et al. The first and second portions were assembled to define a fluid cavity for coupling ultrasound waves and a receptacle for receiving a probe head.
Past ultrasound technology has not, however, presented an ultrasonic probe having a stand-off balloon affixable to the probe that can avoid the aforementioned problems. A need remains for such a probe.